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Back to School Celebration

BREWER – A Back to School celebration will be held 10 a.m-2 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 19, at the Brewer Auditorium on State Street. The free-to-all celebration features fun activities, useful information and lots of giveaways, drawings and refreshments.

The event will feature a bounce house, face painting, bean bag toss, cupcake walk, refreshments, child car seat installation, roll-over crash simulator, fire safety, MaineCare and child care information, nutrition education, fire safety, dental and health education.

Participants include Penquis Community Action Program, Sam’s Club, Bangor Interpreting Services, Toys ‘R’ Us, Brewer fire and police departments, Bangor Public Library, Penobscot Job Corps Center, Maine Immunization Program, Challenger Learning Center of Maine, Garelick Farms, Maine Coast Emergency Services, Penobscot Community Health Center, Maine Discovery Museum, Abnaki Girl Scouts, United Way of Eastern Maine, Beal College, Manna Inc. and Starbucks Coffee Co.

The Back to School Celebration is supported by OfficeMax, Montes International Catering, Office Depot, Brewer Auditorium, Gazebo Sports and Gifts, Portla’s, the Natural Living Center, Rebecca’s Gift Shop, Kid Kutters, Jason’s Pizza, Bangor Mall Cinemas, Shaw’s, Coach House Restaurant, George Weston Bakeries, Mr. Paperback, Kmart, Taco Bell-KFC, Subway Brewer-Holden, the Avon Store Airport Mall, the Ground Round, CVS, Applebee’s, Bangor Daily News and Burger King.

The Back to School Celebration is presented by the Covering Kids and Families Campaign of Penquis Community Action Program. The Covering Kids and Families Campaign is a nationwide initiative granted by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation to promote and assist individuals and families eligible for the MaineCare benefit. For more information, call Maria Staples at 973-3586.

1Voice for Girl Scouts

BANGOR – Girl Scout volunteers are invited to the summer 1Voice meeting – a format designed to give Girl Scout volunteers the information and resources needed for the upcoming year. The District 6 1Voice meeting will be held 6:30-8:30 p.m. Thursday, Aug. 24, at First United Methodist Church, Essex Street.

The evening will include training for the upcoming fall product sale, an update on the council realignment process, distribution of membership packets for troops that did not register in the spring and an investiture and rededication ceremony. As always, there will be time for networking with peers and staff and to hear about Girl Scout activities planned for Penobscot County. Volunteers will receive a fall activity guide filled with ideas for troop activities.

Girls in grades kindergarten through 12, whether or not they are Girl Scouts, are invited to an evening of fun at the 1Voice meeting. Girls, under the direction of Girl Scout staff and volunteers, will participate in themed games which are skill-based and designed to teach cooperation and team building. There is no charge for these, and girls will have an opportunity to sign up for Girl Scouting for the year.

Adults are needed to become Girl Scout volunteers for 2006-2007. Those interested in learning more about volunteering are invited to attend the event and see what leadership entails.

All who plan to attend the district meeting should e-mail events@abnakigsc.org. To obtain more information about the 1Voice meeting, or to get information on becoming a Girl Scout volunteer call Amy Rouse at 989-7474 or e-mail anrouse@abnakigsc.org.

Scholarship recipients

ORONO – The Maude MacKenzie Scholarship of $1,000 is given each year by the GFWC/Maine Federation of Women’s Clubs to a high school senior who has completed requirements from an accredited high school and is a resident of Maine. This year’s recipients are Rachel Bergman of Orono and Rebecca Pilloni of Cherryfield.

Bergman, a graduate of Orono High School, will attend Calvin College in Grand Rapids, Mich. Pilloni, a graduate of Narraguagus High School, will attend Bentley College in Waltham, Mass.

The scholarship is made possible from interest from a bequest made by the late Maude MacKenzie of Orono, active in the Orono Woman’s Club. In 1947-1949 she held the office of president of the Maine Federation of Women’s Clubs. She was a great supporter of education for youth.

Hermon High School

Hermon High School graduate Emily Bell is one of 25 U.S. students to receive an $8,000 scholarship from the Johnson Controls Foundation, the philanthropic arm of Johnson Controls Inc. Her father, Peter Bell, is a Johnson Controls employee.

The scholarship will be applied toward college tuition. Emily Bell plans to major in international relations and public policy at Clark University in Massachusetts. She also enjoys cooking, photography, singing, reading, the outdoors, tennis and travel.

College

American University

WASHINGTON – Emily Smith, a senior majoring in literature at American University College of Arts and Sciences, was named to the dean’s list for spring semester. She is a native of Bangor.

Franklin and Marshall College

These area students were named to the dean’s list for the spring semester at Franklin and Marshall College:

. Kristina Wihbey of Orono, a junior who is studying art.

. Ethan Lambert of Bangor, a first-year student.

Mount Ida College

NEWTON, Mass. – Ronald Lane of Hermon was named to the dean’s list for the spring semester at Mount Ida College. Lane is studying business administration.

Southern New Hampshire University

MANCHESTER, N.H. – Stefanie Deprey of Winterport was named to the dean’s list for the spring semester at Southern New Hampshire University. She is studying communication.

University of Maine

ORONO – Two University of Maine Cooperative Extension faculty members were recognized recently for exemplary work by the National Association of County Agricultural Agents. They were honored at the association’s 2006 annual meeting and professional improvement conference in Cincinnati in late July.

Extension professor Rick Kersbergen of Burnham received the association’s Distinguished Service Award, and associate Extension professor Mark Hutchinson of South China received the association’s Achievement Award.

“Both of these awards are really big deals. This national recognition is quite an accomplishment for these two Extension educators,” said UMaine Extension professor Richard Brzozowski, a colleague of Kersbsergen and Hutchinson.

The Distinguished Service Award is given for at least 10 years of exceptional service to Cooperative Extension. Winners must have implemented an effective Extension program which includes carrying to completion constructive and outstanding work.

With 19 years of service, Kersbergen has done research which has been instrumental in developing the organic dairy industry, with 20 percent of Maine dairies now certified organic.

He developed the training manual for the Maine nutrient management program and served as professional development coordinator for the USDA-funded Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education Program. With a background in ruminant nutrition and agronomy, Kersbergen conducts applied research in forage crops that is essential to the success of Maine’s livestock and dairy farmers.

The Achievement Award recognizes excellence in the field of professional Extension work for nominees with fewer than 10 years of service to Cooperative Extension.

Hutchinson has responsibilities in agriculture and consumer horticulture. He coordinates the Maine Vegetable School and has led programming in nutrient management for area dairy and livestock operations.

As one of the directors of the Maine Compost School, Hutchinson has done work that is critical to this internationally acclaimed medium- and large-scale composting training for farmers and municipalities. He also developed Seeds of Change, an educational gardening program at the state prison. The Knox-Lincoln Counties Master Gardener Program has flourished under Henderson’s leadership.

Cooperative Extension is the largest outreach unit of the University of Maine, and helps fulfill UMaine’s land-grant mission by conducting Extension programs in every Maine county.